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SOUTH GIPPSLAND BEEKEEPERS
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August Newsletter 2021
Edition #98
1. President's report
2. AGM: Reminders
3. AGM: Competitions and Prizes
4. Podcasts & Videos
5. Bron and Ben
6. Winter Management
7. Tasmanian Junior Beekeepers
8. Open Day for Children
9. Club Suppliers
10. Bee pics from this week
President's Report
This is a long one, sorry, but on the bright side it is my last.
 
Hello everyone,

Well this is my last newsletter report as President of this wonderful club. As of next month you will have a new President, Andy Tietge, with fresh ideas and boundless enthusiasm.

Andy & Paula are presently in the UK atm dealing with family matters and not confident of their scheduled return. Let's keep our collective fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly for their safe return.
While you're at it please keep them crossed for a F2F meeting on Aug 12th. The Victorian Covid numbers have been great so it's looking good atm. 

You may be wondering how we are allowed to meet F2F? I have called the Covid Hotline twice in the last couple of months and have been assured that our meetings are classified as Community meetings and not Public Gatherings and as such the rules are quite different. We are permitted to meet in a community building  <600sqm (the church is 400sqm and the hall and entry area are 84sqm)  with a density quotient of 2sqm per person. We MUST however wear masks andhave a Covid Safe Check-in Marshall - and we do. Everyone will be stopped at the door and directed to check-in, either by QR code or manually.

Last month's meeting was again relegated to Zoom but what a great chat we had from Ben Moore, from Ben's Bees. Sorry if you missed it as it really was very entertaining and informative.
Ben has a terrific Podcast - I'll talk about that more further down the newsletter and give you the links so that you can listen to them. 

We also had the Annual Raffle Draw - Wasn't that exciting!
Congratulations to all of our winner:
1st - 4 frame electric extractor: won by Rebekah Clarke
2nd - 50lt stainless steel honey tank: won by Julian Walker
3rd - Large Beeko Smoker: won by Barry McGann

Well I'm off now to do some shopping for the AGM. Woohoo, one of my favourite activities, shopping for prizes!

Thanks to all of you who read my little bit of this and that each month. 

Goodbye and good-luck with your bees all of you lovely people.

'Love ya's all!'
Bron Barton xx
2021 AGM
Thursday - August 12th - 7:30pm
(no beginner's corner)

St Peter's Anglican Church (or hall)
More below

REMINDER: Club fees are due. You can pay at the AGM or on our webiste.

DOOR PRIZE TICKETS: Everyone who has already paid their membership fees or pays on the night will receive a door prize ticket. Good luck to you all.

COVID19 CHECK IN: You will be met at the door of the meeting by our Covid Safe Check-in Marshall, Barry McGann, who will instruct you as you check-in. This may cause a bit of a bottle-neck at the door; sorry in advance for that.

DISTANCING: Please observe the 2sqm per person rule whilst inside the building

MASKS: Everyone is expected to wear a mask, unless speaking to the meeting.
 
AGM
Door Prizes
We have lots of really great door prizes again this year. Our thanks to Hill Top Hives for providing them. As long as you are a financial SGB member and you attend the AGM you are eligible to receive a door prize ticket putting you in the draw. 
Bee Podcast

This podcast is for anyone who loves bees. Patrice Newell and Dani Lloyd-Prichard are both Australian registered beekeepers with over 50 years' experience between them. Now author and farmer Patrice, and educator and researcher Dani are recording their conversations. Throughout the season they'll be talking bee books, bee movies, bee research papers, honey recipes, quizzes, and lots of bee goss.
listen here >>

AGM
Best Hat Comp

You still have a week or so to get cracking and decorate a hat however you like for our Best Decorated Hat comp. It is preferable for the hat to be bee themed but the judges are easily swayed and as long as your hat is a head-turner you're in with a chance to win.
Varroa Resistance Research
Video Presentation
Jodi Gertz:
"This presentation details learnings from my International Specialised Skills Institute Agribusiness Fellowship in 2019.
It was originally presented for the Australasian Honey Bee 2021 Conference.
My research focused on breeding for Varroa resistance to better understand how to position Australian honey bees and beekeepers to successfully navigate a post-varroa world."
watch here >>

AGM
Hive Box Comp

This comp is always a fav as we see the more artistic amongst us tarting up their hive boxes with quite amazing results. The only rule is that you have done it yourself and that you bring your creation along on the night. Can't wait to see what's in store.
Ben's Podcast
Ben Moore:
"I am thrilled to introduce you to a very learned, passionate and devoted human being who started his beekeeping career over 40 years ago and continues to honour bees and their contribution to saving the planet – please welcome Trevor Weatherhead, beekeeper and chair of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) for episode 67 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast."
listen here >>
Bron & Ben
Relevance Alert! - Very little to do with bees - feel free to ignore.

G'day, Bron here, again!, sorry,
Just a word about Ben and his podcast called Bees with Ben.
Recently Ben asked me if I would like to be interviewed for his podcast. My immediate reaction was slight panic as I seem to have a tendency and history for freezing with stage-fright when I am interviewed by anyone! Yeah right! I hear your cries of disbelief from here. As a general rule, the problem, for me, and those talking to me, is shutting me up. I was as surprised as you when I discovered this perplexing anomaly in the time/space continuum.
Anyway, poor Ben casually threw his request my way and I went into bit of a tiz. I could feel a fit of the vapours coming on as I struggled with my strong desire to show-off against the knowledge that I could quite possibly face his questions as frozen and useless as that crumbed piece of Birdseye Deep Sea Dory that fell out of the bag and landed in the bottom of the freezer over a year ago.
Anyway he rang me and I did it. I thought it went quite well. Actually, yeah, it went really well. Good job you! I said.
Then I thought I had better have a listen to a couple of his podcasts - BAD decision. I had expected to hear simple'ish folk, beekeepers with time on their hands, even the odd hillbilly chattering on about their feral swarms and makeshift hives made with recycled plastic bags, some macrame and a cream separator. But NO! I was shocked, SHOCKED I say! to hear speakers with eons of beekeeping experience, others with a multitude of degrees, scintillating senses of humour, riveting stories, brilliant discoveries etc etc etc.

You can hear my podcast with Ben when he uploads it. Probably in the next week or so. 
Oh God.
Winter Management
From the Australian Beekeeping Guide by Russell Goodman and Peter Kaczynski 
 
Bees don‘t hibernate in winter. With the arrival of cold temperatures in late autumn, bees begin to form a winter cluster by grouping together to conserve heat. The tight cluster fills some of the gaps between the combs. A compact outer shell of bees helps to retain the heat generated by the bees within the cluster. In southern states, a small amount of brood rearing may continue through winter particularly in warmer districts near the coast and in warm desert areas. In colder inland areas, colonies are often broodless during winter. 
 
Opening hives in the cold of winter can be harmful to bees. However, it is sometimes necessary to have a look in the hive to ensure enough honey stores are present. This opening of the hive should be very brief and the cluster of bees should not be broken up. Breaking the cluster by removing one or more frames will result in loss of heat and cooling of the cluster of bees. More honey is then consumed by the bees to restore the cluster temperature. 
 
Generally, good preparation before winter will ensure that colonies need not be disturbed until the bees are flying in the mild conditions of late winter and early spring. Even then, beekeepers should resist the temptation to open the hives for lengthy periods too early in spring. 
 
“The Australian Beekeeping Guide” contains additional information about Winter Management on pages 66 to 69. To learn about this and other beekeeping topics, you can obtain a free download or buy a hard copy from the link below.
Buy or Free Download - The Australian Beekeeping Guide
Beekeeping Open Day for Children
While we are on the subject of kids and beekeeping .......
Club members Rob Armstrong and Sam McCuaig have kindly offered to take some kids for an open day during the September school holidays at the Apiary in Officer that they have set up for the Scouts. 

 
If you are interested having your children or grandchildren attend the day please contact the club secretary by EMAIL
Download Flyer
Local Suppliers

Beekeeping Equipment
Stan Glowacki / by appointment
Koala Drive
Jeeralang Junction 3840 
M: 0413 136 878 & H: 5122 2641
Email Email

Beekeeping Equipment / Wax dipping / Queens
Peter Gatehouse
Phone: 0423 244 107
902 Berry's Creek Road Mirboo North 3871
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Winter Bees & Pretty Flowers
Pink King Protea
& 'Purple Spires' Echium (Flowering out of season)
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